‘His wisdom is tremendous’ – Bowling consultant Eric Simmons explains MS Dhoni’s influence on CSK

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) registered a morale-boosting win on Monday, April 14, as they defeated the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. MS Dhoni played a crucial knock of 26* off 11 balls to take his team over the line. He was named Player of the Match as his late blitzkrieg helped CSK chase down a 167-run target with five wickets and three balls to spare. After the win, CSK’s bowling consultant, Eric Simmons, said that Dhoni, who was named captain of the side after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out due to injury after playing the first five games, has a great relationship with the players as well as head coach Stephen Fleming.

The former South African speedster opined that Dhoni doesn’t teach his teammates the technical aspects of the game. However, they learn from his calmness under pressure and his understanding of the game.

“His influence has been there all the time, you know, even when he wasn’t captain. His relationship with Rutu is very important. His relationship with Fleming is very important. His relationship with all the players is very important. It’s not that he teaches typical technical issues about the game, but it’s the calmness that you see out there, that’s how he teaches you to play the game. He teaches an understanding of cricket, which is a very important aspect of the game. So that influence, that calmness that he brings, has always been there, but tonight we saw it once again,” Simmons said at the post-match press conference.

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Simmons regretted Gaikwad’s absence after he was ruled out due to an elbow injury. Dhoni took over as captain in the game against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 11. While CSK lost that encounter, Simmons said that the wicketkeeper-batter’s calming influence played a key role in the thrilling win against Lucknow on Monday.

“You know, the fact that he’s captain or not captain, he’s the same person. It didn’t change when he wasn’t, in terms of his actual influence on the team. He’s obviously a very important part of our setup. As I said, it’s a pity that Ruturaj is not there to play and be our captain and our leader, but MS has always been like that. As I said, it doesn’t feel like a massive change because he’s always been there to give advice, give thoughts, give inputs. And as I said, he’s always a calming influence and gives a great level of understanding about how cricket should be played. His wisdom is tremendous,” Simmons concluded on the matter.

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